Value of fym

[Fubar]

I usually do several straw for muck deals with neighbours but they've always got more muck than I've got straw to swap. I'm thinking of buying some standing straw this year so I can swap it for extra muck. Not the best year to be buying I know. How much can I afford to pay to make it worthwhile. What value would you give a 16t load of cattle muck. Bearing in mind I've got to lug I and spread it. I was once told it's worth around £10 a tonne in nutrients alone.

 

[SilliamWhale]

Eh? Your buying standing straw to give to your neighbours?

Are you mad?

 

[Fubar]

Eh? Your buying standing straw to give to your neighbours?

Are you mad?

Well I'm not giving it away. I'm swapping it for muck. Just wondered what I can afford to pay per acre t make it worthwhile. Muck is a much valued asset around here.

 

[DieselRob]

Why not just buy the extra muck and let them sort their own straw

 

[milkloss]

Eh? Your buying standing straw to give to your neighbours?

Are you mad?

so they can add expensive nutrients, mash it up and add bugs and stuff that everyone gets all excited about. This ‘process’ is very labour intensive and very hard on the bank balance.

 

[David.]

If they only have straw from you, surely you expect to see all the straw yard muck back?

 

[R J]

Can you not just buy the extra muck off them @ £4 per ton ish

 

[e3120]

Eh? Your buying standing straw to give to your neighbours?

Are you mad?

Not at all. Coming at it from the other side I would rather buy straw so that I can hold on to all my muck.

 

[livestock 1]

I looked it up a few weeks ago when I was spreading a lot of it on silage ground and the value as fertiliser is calculated against the value of bought in fertiliser £6 per tonne.
That doesn’t mean I’m saying what you should pay for it it’s just muck valued against fert

 

[Fubar]

My fag packet calculations puts it as £7.50 per t worth of p and k, plus some N , micronutrients and o m. So a 16 t load is worth £120. Therefore if I can buy an acre of straw for £60 and swap it for muck I've got £60 /acre to lug and spread it .
I won't be showing my livestock neighbours this muck valuation post!!

 

[Fubar]

If they only have straw from you, surely you expect to see all the straw yard muck back?

They normally buy straw in too. At least if I buy it I can ensure it is b g free.

 

[Wheatland]

Instead of buying straw, what about using the money to buy compost, digestate or sewage sludge delivered in? Sometimes these can be free

 

[SilliamWhale]

My fag packet calculations puts it as £7.50 per t worth of p and k, plus some N , micronutrients and o m. So a 16 t load is worth £120. Therefore if I can buy an acre of straw for £60 and swap it for muck I've got £60 /acre to lug and spread it .
I won't be showing my livestock neighbours this muck valuation post!!

You can do anything with numbers I suppose but I don't really see it like that. Will they not give you some more muck for free or are they short of it.

I'd be doing a lot of other things first before buying free straw for my neighbours! Although to be fair you may be in an area where traditionally straw is worth very little

 

[David.]

If I had to buy in extra straw to give away for muck, frankly I'd be chopping mine.

 

[Mr Charisma]

We've spread our own fym on our own farm for years, yes it keeps the ground alive but never see the indices move, started using sludge a few years ago and watched P move from 2 or 3 up to 4 + after 2 applications

 

[Brisel]

My fag packet calculations puts it as £7.50 per t worth of p and k, plus some N , micronutrients and o m. So a 16 t load is worth £120. Therefore if I can buy an acre of straw for £60 and swap it for muck I've got £60 /acre to lug and spread it .
I won't be showing my livestock neighbours this muck valuation post!!

Have you run a load over a weighbridge or analysed the muck? I've never had 14t of muck in a 14t grain trailer. The well rotted horse muck I buy in here for £2.50/t delivered (£5/t in fertiliser, priceless as organic matter) is 440 kg/m3. Feed wheat is normally used as a benchmark for grain trailers which is 720 kg/m3. There's muck and there's muck. Strawy stuff is low value and no weight in a trailer.

How else do your businesses complement each other? I'm sure there's more you have in common and quiet times for you would be busy ones for them.

 

[livestock 1]

The old rotted heavy stuff has less N and more K. Strawy stuff if it’s wet out of the shed has more N
Soil structure is something that’s talked about when muck value is mentioned
Also what cattle or sheep here are fed makes a noticeable difference to fym values. When we are feeding high grain/concentrates the muck value is much higher than tickling cows along

 

[Brisel]

Whilst this is a good guide, manures vary tremendously according to management system, storage water content, age etc.

Source: RB209 section 2 Organic Materials https://projectblue.blob.core.windo...Docs/RB209/RB209_Section2_2020_200116_WEB.pdf

 

[Texelman]

Gym is good stuff, loading, hauling and spreading it is not cheap

 

[Fubar]

I was just wondering if it was worth buying straw to swap for muck. If it doesn't pay to buy straw then surely it doesn't pay to do any straw for muck deals. May as well just sell the straw.
If Neighbour has got some well rotted fym and needs straw. Maybe I can just buy the muck off him at £4 / t. I usually have 1.5 trailers (16 t approx)per acre of straw. 16 x £4 is £64. So I may as well buy straw for him at £60 / acre.
Too far away from sewerage sludge options.
Maybe better to buy compost or poultry litter?
Indexes can be maintained with fert if nessecary . It's the o m benefits I'm really after.